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fi4Tir Congress, ) HOUSE Olb' REPRESENTATIVES, j Report 

M Session. j (No. 700. 



NATIONAL PARK SERVICE. 



May 17, 1916.— Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the 
Union and ordered to be printed. 



yMr. Raker, from the Committee on the Public Lands, submitted the 

following 

REPORT. 

[To accompany H. R. 15522.] 

ITie Committee on the Public Lands, having had under considera- 
tion H. R. 8668 and H. R. 434, bills to establish a national park 
service, and for other purposes, recommend that H. R. 15522, which 
embodies the amendments adopted by the committee as a substi- 
tute for the bills H. R. 8668 and H. R. 434, do pass. 

The bill H. R. 15522 is as follows: 

A BILL To establish a national park service, and for other purposes. 

Be it enacted by the Sermtc and Hou^c of Representative-^ of the United State'i of America 
in Congress ai'embled. That there is hereby created in the Department of the Interior 
a service to be called the national park service, which shall be under the charge of a 
director, who shall be appointed by the Secretary and who shall receive a salary of 
$5,000 per annum. There shall also be appointed by the Secretary the following 
assistants and other employees at the salaries designated: One assistant director, at 
$2,500 per annum; one chief clerk, at $2,000 per annum: one draftsman, at |1,800 
per annum; one messenger, at §600 per annum; and, in addition thereto, such other 
employees as the Secretary of the Interior shall deem necessary: Provided, That not 
more than $8,100 annually shall be expended for salaries of experts, assistants, and 
employees withm the District of Columbia not herein specifically enumerated unless 
previously authorized by law. The service thus established shall promote and regu- 
late the use of the Federal areas known as national parks, monuments, and reservations 
hereinafter specified by such means and measures as conform to the fundamental 
purpose of the said parks, monuments, and reservations, which purpose is to conserve 
the scenery and the natural and liistoric objects and the wild life therein and to 
provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will 
leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations. 

Sec. 2. That tlie director shall, under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior 
liaye the supervision, management, and control ot the several national parks iuid 
national monuments which are now under the jurisdiction oi the Department of the 
Interior and the Department of Agriculture, and of the Kdt Springs Reservation in 
the State of Arkansas, and of such other naticmal parks and reservations of like char- 
acter as may bs hereafter created by (^ongress: Provided, That in the supervision, 



NATTONAr, PAKK SERVirE. 






man;vj;omont, an<l control of national monumontH Hituati'd witliin or (•(!nti>i;ui)ii3 to 
natiiinal forosts the Secretary of Agriculture may (•ooi)erate with said national-park 
service to such extent a« may })e requested by the Secretary of the Interior. 

Sec. 3. That the Secretary of the Interior shall make and publish siich rules and 
reixulations as he may deem necessary or |Ud])er for the use and inanairement of the 
])arks, monuments, and reservations under tiie jurisdiction of the national-])ark service, 
and any violation? of any of the rules and refrulations authorized by this act shall be 
]iunislied as provided for in section fifty of tlie act entitled "An act to codify and 
auu'ud the penal laws of the United States," approvcnl March fourth, nineteen hun- 
dro(l and nine, as amended by section six ot the act of June twenty-fiftli, nineteen 
hundred and ten (Thirty-sixth United States Statutes at Uarge, pa?e eiijrht hundred 
and tifty-seven). He may als), upon terms and conditions to be fixed by him, sell 
or dispose of timber in those cases where in his judj^ment the cutting of such timber 
is required in order to control the attacks of insects or diseases or otherwise conserve 
the scenery or the natural or historic objects in any such park, monument, or reserva- 
ti )n. lie may als.) provide in his discretion for the destruction ot such animals and 
of such plant life as may be detrimental to the use of any of said ])arks, monuments, 
or reservations. He may also grant privileges, leases, and jiermits for the use of land 
f ir the accommodation of visitors in the various parks, monuments, or other reserva- 
ti ns herein provided tor, but for periods not exceeding twenty years; and no natural 
curi :sities, wonders, or objects of interest shall be leased, rented, or granted to any- 
one on such terms as to interfere with tree access to them by the public: Provided, 
however. That the Secretary of the Interior may, under such rules and regulations ae 
he may prescribe, grant the privilege to graze live stock witliin any national park, 
monurnent, or reservation herein referred to when in his judgment such use is not 
detrimental to the primary purjjose for which such park, monument, or reservation 
was created. 

Skc. 4. That all acts or parts of acts inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed: 
J'rovided, That nothing in this act contained shall affect or modify the provisions of 
the act approved February fifteenth, nineteen hundred and one, entitled "An act 
relating to rights of way through certain parts, reservations, and other public lands." 

The bill (H. R. 15522) recommended for passage provides for a 
coherent organization in Washington and in tlie field of a service to 
the end that it shall "promote and regulate the use of the Federal 
areas known as national parks, monuments, and reservations by such 
me ins and measures as conform to the fundamental purpose of the 
aforesaid parks, monuments, and reservations, wliich purpose is to 
conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the 
wild life therein, and to provide for the enjojonent of the same in 
such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for 
the enjoyment of future generations." 

The growing appreciation of the national assets found in the 
national parks and monuments is evidenced by the vast increa.se of 
visitors. The preat trend toward the parks means retaining in tliis 
country tlie millions expended by our tourists in forei<:fn travel previ- 
ously spent abroad. This economic value of the parks is only recently 
coming to be realized. It is a factor of importance, in addition to 
the benefits to our people in their outdoor education and exercise. 
With equal scenery we are lagging far behind the European countries, 
notably Switzerland, and are outclassed by tlie development of park 
travel and park use in Canada. 

Notwithstanding the great extent and value of our park areas, 
there has not been, nor is there at present any organization sulliciently 
complete or adequate to handle the various administrative phases. 
The parks are now managed in the Department of the Interior by 
an assistant to the Secretary, whose work in this line is merely by 
assigmnent, and whose tenure of office is subject to the tenure of the 
Secretary of the Interior. The clerical force is collected from various 

D. o^ D. 
MAY 27 1916 



NATIONAL PARK SERVICE. 



< 



employees in the department in accordance with their aptitude, but 
they are unable to devote all of their time to the specific tasks of 
^ this service. 

t There is a lack of flexibility in the field service, and the great 
r work that is going on has been performed in a haphazard way. 
The success of recent efforts has been due largely to unexpected 
volunteer service, and to extra work by those already holding 
ret-ponsible and laborious positions. In this bill the committee in 
section 1 has specified the salaries as follows: Of the director, $5,000 
pvY annum; an assistant director at $2,500 per annum; a chief clerk 
at $2,000 per annum; one draftsman.at $1,800 per annum, and one 
messenger at $600 per annum; or a total of $11,900. It was brought 
out in the hearings that for the present, the needt^d office expense in 
Washington will amount approximately to $19,980. 

Inasmuch as it would be impossible, without an experience derived 
from actual operation, to specify exactly the clerical force needed, 
the bill can only provide for a general fund for assistants other than 
those specifically named, bringing the total amount to be expended 
in Washington to $20,000 (or $8,100 in addition to specified salaries), 
which the committee regards as the least amount that can be con- 
sidered adequate. The biU provides for turning over into the 
national-park service at the discretion of the Secretary, any or all of 
the field employees, and gives him the same latitude of appointment 
and control of the field force that he now has. Under the customs 
of the Appropriations Committee, specified amounts are annually 
appropriated for each of the several parks, based upon their several 
needs, and the bill neither adds to the present appointing power of 
the Secretary nor detracts therefrom, except as it provides for an 
office force in the District of Columbia, which is specifically limited 
in amount to total salaries of $20,000 per annum. 

The bill provides for the management and improvement under the 
national park service of all the national parks and the national 
monuments which are now under the jurisdiction of the Department 
of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture, and includes the 
Hot Springs Reservation in the vState of Arkansas, which is under the 
Department of the Interior. 

It was the unanimous opinion of the committee that there should 
not be any conflict of jurisdiction as between the departments of such 
a nature as might interfere with the organization and operation of 
the national parks, which are set apart for the public enjoyment and 
entertainment, as against those reservations specifically created for 
the conservation of the natural resources of timber and other national 
assets, and devoted strictly to utifitarian purposes, in the vastly 
greater areas, known as national forests. 

Tlie segregation of national-park areas necessarily involves the 
question of the preservation of nature as it exists, and the enjoyment 
of park privileges requires the development of adequate and moderate- 
pi'iced transportation and hotel facilities. In the national forests 
there must always be kept in mind as primary objects and purposes 
the utilitarian use of land, of water, and of timber, as contributing to 
the wealth of all the people. 



4 NATIONAL PAKK SERVICE. 

Tlio Secretary of Agriculture expresses the opinion that certain of 
the smaller monuments situated in the national forests slioukl bo 
mjiintained under Forest Service, imtil such time as they may become 
objects of large public interest, and public attraction; to meet v^-'hich 
suggestion i)rovision has been made in the })ill for due cooperation 
between the tvio departments, subject always to request for assistance 
of the Forest Service by the Secretary of the Interior, with whom 
properly lies jurisdiction over tlie parks and monuments. 

The Secretarj^ of Agriculture in his letter of May 16, 1916, practi- 
cally indorses this contention in his statement, as follows: 

Un(]uestionably, the Grand Canyon should be established as a national park and 
placed under the direct administration of the national-park service. Such a plan 
and measure would meet with the department's earnest approval. In addition, the 
Mount Olympus National Monument, which is the only otlier monument under the 
administration of this department embracing any considerable area, should be given 
careful consideration as a possible national park, and if not included in such park by 
congressional action, should be restored to its original status as national forest land. 
If it should eventually be found desirable to transfer to the park service any of the 
other nine national monuments in the national forests, this may be accomplished at 
any time for any particular area by the issuance of a presidential proclamation vacating 
the national fort-st withdrawal in so far as it covered the national-momunent area. 
This would have the effect of transferring jurisdiction to the national-park service. 

In these words, the Secretary of Agriculture lias s])ecifically stated 
that the time may come when, in his opinion, jurisdiction over all 
monuments as well as parks should be transferred to the proposed 
park service under the Interior Department. The unanimous opinion 
of the Committee on the Public Lands is to the effect that this time 
has already come, and we respectfully submit that the bill herewith 
reported provides for all proper and needed cooj^eration between 
the departm(>nts as is suggestt^d by both Secretaries. 

No provision is made for transferring to the care of th(^ jiroposed 
park service the two national monuments now administered by the 
War Department. First, the Big Horn batth^ field has merely his- 
torical interest. There are 5 acres of ordinary rough country set 
aside in commemoration of the Custer massacre, and second, the 
Cabrillo monument in California, consisting of I acre, was donated 
to the Government by a private individual as a memorial to the 
explorer. Neither of these monuments possesses features that are 
liable to be destroyed, and as they are no burden upon the War 
Department, the committee believes that it would bo l)Ost to leave 
th(^m in their present situation. 

Section .'3 gives the Secretary of the Interior authority to make and 
publish rules and regulations, and also refers to the act of March 4, 
1909, as amended by section 6 of the act of June 25, 1910, which 
states the penalties to be visited upon those who injure or deface the 
parks and monum<u)ts. 



NATIONAL PARK SERVICE. 



The growing popularity of the parks is evidenced by figures showing 
^he visitors in the year 1915, as follows: 

Visitors to national parks, 1908 to 1915. 



Name of park. 


1908 


1909 


1910 


1911 


1912 


1913 


1914 


1915 


4- 

Yellowstotie National Park 

Yosemite National Park 


19,542 
8,850 
1,251 
1,773 
3,511 
80 
5,275 
3,171 

26,000 
250 


32,545 
13, 182 

854 

798 
5,968 

165 

4,171 

3,216 

25,000 

190 


19,575 

13,619 

2,407 

1,178 

8,000 

250 

5,O0Cl 

3,387 

25, 000 

190 

120, 000 


23,054 

12,530 

3,114 

2,160 

10, 306 

206 

4,500 

3,887 

30, 000 

200 

130,000 

4,000 


22,970 

10,884 

2,923 

2,240 

8,946 

230 

5,235 

3,199 

31,000 

200 

135, 000 

6,257 


24,929 

13,735 

3,823 

2,756 

13, 501 

280 

6,253 

3,988 

35,000 

300 

135,000 

12, 138 


20,250 
15, 145 

4,667 

3,735 

15,038 

502 

7,096 

3,592 

30, 000 

500 

125, 000 

14, 168 


61,895 
33 452 


Seciuoia National Park 


7 647 


General Grant National Park 

Mount Rainier National Park 

Mesa Verde National Park 

Crater Lake National Park 

Wind Cave National Park 

Platl National Park . . 


10'523 
35, 166 
663 
11,371 
2,817 
20 000 


Sullys Hill National Park 

Hot Springs Reservation 


1^000 
115 000 








14, 265 


Ro?kv Moimtain National Park.. 








31,000 



















In conclusion, the committee would reprint . the last paragraph 
submitted by the Secretary of the Interior, which goes to the question 
of the expense of administration, and which the committee has every 
reason to accept: 

It should be possible to administer these reservations along one general compre- 
hensive line instead of having to deal with each separate reservation as an independent 
entity without any relation to any other reservation, which latter arrangement is, to 
my mind, unbusinesslike and inefficient. I have given this matter considerable 
thought, as has my assistant, who is particularly interested in and devoted to the pro- 
motion of our national parks and monuments, and it is believed that H. R. 15522 will 
obviate a great many of the difficulties we have encountered in the past in adminis- 
tering these reservations to the best advantage. It involves no additional expenditure 
by the Government, but, on the other hand, should effect economy. 

The committee is of the opinion that plans now being carried out 
will tend more and more to make the parks self-sustaining, without 
extortion or unreasonable charge on the traveling public, merely by 
organization and control of the concessionaires. The subject of con- 
cessions is taken into account in section 3, where it is provided that 
the Secretary of the Interior may ''grant privileges, leases, and per- 
mits for the use of land for the accommodation of visitors in the various 
parks, monuments, or other reservations herein provided for, but for 
periods not exceeding 20 years." 

lender the terms of concessions already granted the public is 
insured good service and reasonable charges, and the revenues thus 
secured amounted in the aggregate for the year 1915 to $173,554.88. 

The committee believes that through the organization and estab- 
lishment of a park service we shaU make our home country a place 
worthy of retaining our own tourists and securing others, and that 
we shall also create a knowledge of the land we possess, which will 
develop a higher patriotism. 

The bill H. R. 15522 as approved by the committees in place and 
stead of bills H. R. 434, by Mr. Raker, and H. R. 8668, by Mr. Kent, 
was submitted to Hon. Franldin K. Lane, Secretary of the Interior, for 
consideration and report, and thereafter on the 10th day of May, 1916, 
Hon. Franklin K. Lane, Secretary of the Interior, made report 



6 NATIONAL PARK SERVICE. 

thereon to Hon. Scott Ferris, cliairnian Committee on the Piihlic 
Lands, whicli report is as follows: 

Departmbnt op the Intkrior, 

Washimjlor. , May 10, 19VL 

My Dear Mr. Ferris; I have your request for report upon H. R. 15522, "A bill 
to establish a national-park service, and for other purposes." 

There are administerod by tliis department 13 national parks, with a total area of 
over 4,(100,000 acres, 19 national monuments, with an area of about 85,000 acres, and 
the Hot Springs Reservation in the State of Arkansas. These various reservaiions 
have been created from time to time under laws which arc not uniform. For admini.s- 
trative purposes each of the reservations is a separate and distuict unit. This is so even 
to the extent that it is not possible under e.xistiiig law to transfer a ranger from one part 
or monument to another, although such action might for various reasons be desirable 
or necessary. 

The general administrative work, preparation of concession contracts, preparation of 
regulations governing the reservations, consideration of legal questions that arise, dis- 
bursement of money, etc., is handled by a few employee? of tlie ofhce of the chief clerk 
of the department, practically all of whom have other departmental duties to perform, 
making it impo.ssible for them to devote more than part of their time to the work of 
considering the details of the administration of the national parks and monuments. 

As your hearuigs on the matter of establishing a national-park service developed, the 
activities in the various parks have mcreased greatly in recent years, the number of 
our people visiting the parks being steadily on the increase. This, of course, has 
resulted in additional work to be done at Washington, and to such an extent that we 
have been hampered for lack of assistance here. 

It should be possible to administer these reservations along one general compre- 
hensive line instead of having to deal with each separate reservation as an independ- 
ent entity without any relation to any other reservations, which latter arrangement 
is, to my mind, unbusinesslike and inefficient. I have given this matter consider- 
able thought, as has my assistant, who is particularly interested in and devoted to 
the promotion of our national parks and monuments, and it is believed that H. R. 
15522 will obviate a great many of the difficulties we have encountered in the past 
in administering these reservations to the best advantage. It involves no additional 
expenditure by the Government, but, on the other hand, should effect economy. 

I therefore strongly urge upon your committee and upon Congress the pressing 
necessity for the early enactment of this legislation. 
Cordially, yours, 

Franklin K. Lane, Secretary. 

Hon. Scott Ferris, 

Chairman Committee on the Public Lands, 

House of Representatives, 

The substitute bill adopted by the committee was referred by the 
Committee on the Public Lands to Hon. David F. Houston, Se(;re- 
tary of Agriculture, for consideration and report thereon to the com- 
mittee, and thereafter, on the 16th day of May, 1916, Hon. David 
F. Houston, Secretary of Agriculture, submitted report to Hon. Scott 
Ferris, chairman Committee on the Public Lands, which report is as 
follows : 

Department of Agricultlre, 

Washington, May 16, I'ni',. 
Hon. Scott Ferris, 

Chairman Committee on the Public Lands, 

House of Representatives. 

Dear Mr. Ferris: Receipt is acknowledged of a copy of H. R. 15522, "To establish 
a national park service." together with areque.-t that this department submit a re])on 
thereon, with such suggestions and recommendations as it may desire to make 

This measure, it is understood, is proposed in lieu of II. R. 8668. This depart nieno 
is heartily in favor of the establishment of a national park service, and in its report 
of l<"ebruary 12 expressed itself favorable to such action. The report of the depart 
ment on the previous bill expressed disapproval of the provision for a direct transfer 
to another department of such monuments as are now under national forest withdrawal 
and form a part of existing national forests. The report of the Secretary of the In- 
terior on II. R. 8668 suggested an amendment consistent with the position of thit; 



NATIONAL PARK SERVICE. 7 

department and which would meet the difliciilties set forth in our previous reports 
The report of the Secretary of tlie Interior on the former l)ill recommended as follows: 

"After the word 'monuments' on line 12, page 1, insert 'now under the jurisdic- 
tion of the Department of the Interior and of. ' " 

In conformity with preAious recommendation tliis department, therefore, will offer 
no objection to H. R. 8668 as amended by the Secretary of the Interior. Correspond- 
ingly the measure now before the department, H. R. 15522, would be in satisfactory 
form if amended by striking out the words, "and the Department of Agriculture," 
from lines 19 and 20, page 2, and inserting the word "such" after the word "of" in 
line 24, page 2. 

It is the department's idea that eventually the national monument area remaining 
under the administration of this department will be greatly reduced. Unquestionably 
the Grand Canyon should be established as a national park and placed under the direct 
administration of the national park service. Such a plan and measure woidd meet 
with the department's earnest approval. In addition, the Mount Olympus national 
monument, which is the only other monument under the administration of this 
department embracing any considerable area, should be given careful consideration 
as a possible national park, and if not included in such park by congressional action, 
should be restored to its original status as national forest land. If it should eventually 
be found desirable to transfer to the park service any of the other nine national monu- 
ments in the national forests, this may be accomplished at any time for any particular 
area by the issuance of a presidential proclamation vacating the national forest with- 
drawal in so far as it covered the national monument area. This would have the 
effect of transferring jurisdiction to the national park service. 

If amended as suggested above, this measure would have the very hearty indorse- 
ment of this department. 
Very truly, yours, 

D. F. Houston, Secretary. 

o 



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